The ADV That Could Make You Forget About Buying A Car For Weekend Trips
Most weekend trips usually start with the question: car or bike? Most people pick the car for the luggage space, comfort, and convenience. However, that logic is aging fast. Modern adventure motorcycles are able to cover all these aspects: enough storage for a weekend trip, backed by comfort and convenience features to make your life easier.
They shrug off bad weather with electronics that once belonged only to luxury sedans. They cover long highway stretches without wrecking your back. ADVs smoothly glide over rough patches and undulations on the road, perhaps even better than most cars could. And they make the journey much more enjoyable than a car would. If you’re eyeing a car just for weekend trips, ADVs make a stronger case for themselves.
Modern Flagship ADVs Are More Premium Than Budget Cars
Walk into a showroom with $22,000 to spend, and a new budget car will greet you with a basic cabin and bare-minimum features. Spend the same amount on a flagship ADV and the picture completely changes. Flagship ADVs offer a plethora of features and tech that budget cars just cannot match.
ADVs worth such a hefty price tag justify their price with premium equipment: semi-active suspension, color TFT screens, heated grips, and all the creature comforts you may need. Some even offer radar-based safety systems to add to the safety net. You also get high-quality materials, top-of-the-line braking systems, and some serious engineering for the price. But which ADV actually delivers on the flagship promise — and is worth $22,000 of your money?
They Also Bring Serious Performance And Fun To The Mix
Premium features and build quality only tell half the story, and the other half holds even more importance here. Flagship ADVs offer performance that no budget car could match. Many ADVs in this price bracket make 140 horsepower or more, and since they weigh a fraction of a car, that power makes things a lot more interesting.
Zero to 60 mph takes around three seconds, something that even a few supercars worth over $100,000 cannot match. That, paired with long-travel suspension, comfortable ergonomics, and a top-class chassis, allows you to attack corners and have the most fun without compromising comfort on a long haul. Here’s one such flagship ADV that makes long highway runs feel like a walk in the park.
The Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro Is A Premium Long-Distance ADV Example
The Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro is a strong example of what a premium ADV can be. Priced from $22,095, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro isn’t just a spec-sheet masterpiece. It is a motorcycle that will make weekend trips effortless and enjoyable. The refined performance of Triumph’s signature triple engine, paired with top-of-the-line equipment, helps this ADV offer sublime comfort.
On paper, the equipment and figures may not scream best-in-class, but on the road, everything that the Tiger 1200 GT Pro has to offer is quite useful. And to back the engine and features up, you’ve got loads of practicality on offer, making long-distance touring more convenient.
You Get More Practicality Than A Car With The Thrill Of A Motorcycle
Here’s where the car argument doesn’t really hold up. Optional panniers and a top box can easily accommodate a weekend’s worth of clothing, gear, and everything else you need. To keep the fuel stops to a minimum, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro gets a 5.28-gallon fuel tank. Keyless ignition and a keyless fuel filler cap add to the convenience, while an under-seat USB port keeps your phone charged.
To make parking and loading the motorcycle easier, you get a center stand as well. Even though this is a flagship ADV, its slim footprint makes riding in the city and parking in tight spots much easier. All of this makes the Tiger 1200 GT Pro quite a practical motorcycle for everyday riding as well as weekend trips.
A Characterful Triple Engine Delivers Usable Power
At the heart of the matter is a 1,160cc inline-triple engine – an engine that gives this flagship ADV quite a lot of character. Triumph fitted it with a T-plane crankshaft that fires in an uneven 1-3-2 sequence, giving it the low-RPM pulse of a V-twin. This makes it tractable and forgiving in slow corners, while still offering the power needed at the top end like a proper triple engine.
The engine produces 147 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough for highway overtakes – even with a loaded top box and panniers. You also get a quickshifter as standard, ensuring an effortless riding experience. All 147 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque go to the rear wheel through a Tri-Link shaft final drive. The shaft drive adds a lot of convenience – no need for periodic lubing and adjusting the chain. There’s also no need to replace a chain before a cross-country trip.
Versatile Underpinnings Let You Take The Odd Trail
Even though the GT Pro is a more road-focused Tiger, it doesn’t shy away from a trail. A trellis frame sits under the bodywork with Showa semi-active suspension offering 7.87 inches of travel at both ends. That’s generous enough to soak up broken asphalt and undulations as well as soft trails. Active Preload Reduction lowers the rear by 20 mm when you stop, allowing riders of all sizes to manage the 34.25 inch seat height. All of this, paired with an off-road ride mode, allows you to take the odd trail in the middle of a long highway ride.
The GT Pro’s Rider Aids Work Quietly In The Background
While you are focused on the endless highways, the GT Pro’s rider aids are working in the background. You get five ride modes, traction control, ABS, and adjustable suspension damping, ensuring a safe and comfortable riding experience. Hill hold control stops the bike from rolling backward on steep starts, which comes in quite handy when the panniers and rack are loaded. Adaptive cornering lights help with visibility in the bends, and an optional tire pressure monitor keeps tabs on the tires. All of this is quietly working without you noticing it, allowing you to simply ride and enjoy the views.
How The Tiger 1200 GT Pro’s Creature Comforts Make It An Optimal Car Replacement
Every small comfort-oriented feature comes in handy when you are touring. An adjustable windscreen paired with aero deflectors reduces wind buffeting, ensuring reduced fatigue. You also get cruise control, operable with the touch of a few buttons, allowing you to relax your wrist and hand on a long highway stretch. To further enhance comfort, you get heated grips – saving your palms from a frosty morning.
The Tiger 1200 GT Pro gets a seven-inch TFT screen that shows turn-by-turn navigation, phone controls, and media through the Triumph connectivity system. You can also control your GoPro through the screen. These features put together make highway riding easy and comfortable. Put simply, for a weekend machine that could replace a car, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro offers the most complete package.
Source: Triumph Motorcycles
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